6 months ago
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Vientiane, Laos
After Siem Reap, I flew to Vientiane, Laos. The capital sits on the Mekong on the border between Laos and Thailand. Laos may be my favorite country of travels. There was something so relaxing about it after the pace of Cambodia.
As soon as I arrived in Laos, I felt as my internal clock slowed down. The country is made for taking it slow and taking it all in.
On the plane, I recognized a friend of a friend who was also traveling in Southeast Asia. So with a few new friends I explored Laos for ten days. In Vientiane, we put down our bags and found a rickety wooden bar over looking the Mekong and into Thailand. Best spring rolls, I had eaten in sometime.
There's not much in Vientiane, we ventured on a local bus out to the Buddha Park, pictures below will explain the name. IN Cambodia, I found people friendly, once you greeted them. The difference is, in Laos, everyone smiles at you first.
As soon as I arrived in Laos, I felt as my internal clock slowed down. The country is made for taking it slow and taking it all in.
On the plane, I recognized a friend of a friend who was also traveling in Southeast Asia. So with a few new friends I explored Laos for ten days. In Vientiane, we put down our bags and found a rickety wooden bar over looking the Mekong and into Thailand. Best spring rolls, I had eaten in sometime.
There's not much in Vientiane, we ventured on a local bus out to the Buddha Park, pictures below will explain the name. IN Cambodia, I found people friendly, once you greeted them. The difference is, in Laos, everyone smiles at you first.
Temples at Angkor
There are two ways to get to Siem Reap from the capital, bus or a boat up the Tonlé Sap. Siem Reap is a home base for those exploring the Angkor Temples. Angkor Wat is the largest and most recognizable of the temples. The Bayon is a temple with faces on towers and Ta Prohm was kept as it was 'discovered' by the French. I got to explore Ta Prohm mostly on my own as other left to go watch the sunset over Angkor Wat. At Angkor you can see architectural wonders and play Indiana Jones at the other ruin sites.
There are a lot of photos from Angkor. I apologize in advance.
Former baths/swimming pools in Angkor Wat
Monkeys!
Look as I masterfully cover up the green tarp on the front of the wat with a palm tree!
.jpg)
Taking photos from the back of a moto is an important skill in Southeast Asia.
There are a lot of photos from Angkor. I apologize in advance.
Former baths/swimming pools in Angkor Wat
Monkeys!
Look as I masterfully cover up the green tarp on the front of the wat with a palm tree!
.jpg)
Taking photos from the back of a moto is an important skill in Southeast Asia.
Friday, December 4, 2009
Phnom Penh in Pictures
The remnants of French colonialism still sit on the banks of the Mekong in Phnom Penh. While still fairly safe for tourists; corruption is commonplace as is child prostitution. However, this is a side of the city I never saw. I assume you have to go looking for it. The French were never as interested in Cambodia as they were in Vietnam. When they left, they left little infrastructure and access to education.
Most tourists go to Phnom Penh to learn about the Khmer Rouge and their reign on the country. Many people I talked to had been unaware of the atrocities that happened during the regime. The Khmer Rouge were the community party in Cambodia. They began working in the rural areas in the 1960s and eventually civil war broke out in the early 1970s. In 1975, Pol Pot declared "Year Zero" and began implemented his policies on a much larger-scale. Most Cambodians had no idea who was in charge of the 'revolution' until 1977.
The Khmer Rouge desired a purely agrarian society. All peasants were praised as the 'Old People.' Conversely, monks, government officials, doctors, and intellectuals were labeled as the 'New People' and forced to work in labor camps outside of the city. City dwellers were seen as enemies to communism. Even those who wore glasses were killed as suspected intellectuals.
In the pictures below, there are images from the national palaces in the capital. The others are from S-21, a high-school turned prison on the outskirts of the city. Those convicted at Tuol Sleng, S-21, were sent to the killing fields at Choeung Ek. You won't see any pictures from the killing fields because sometimes it's important not to stay behind your camera lens.
Most tourists go to Phnom Penh to learn about the Khmer Rouge and their reign on the country. Many people I talked to had been unaware of the atrocities that happened during the regime. The Khmer Rouge were the community party in Cambodia. They began working in the rural areas in the 1960s and eventually civil war broke out in the early 1970s. In 1975, Pol Pot declared "Year Zero" and began implemented his policies on a much larger-scale. Most Cambodians had no idea who was in charge of the 'revolution' until 1977.
The Khmer Rouge desired a purely agrarian society. All peasants were praised as the 'Old People.' Conversely, monks, government officials, doctors, and intellectuals were labeled as the 'New People' and forced to work in labor camps outside of the city. City dwellers were seen as enemies to communism. Even those who wore glasses were killed as suspected intellectuals.
In the pictures below, there are images from the national palaces in the capital. The others are from S-21, a high-school turned prison on the outskirts of the city. Those convicted at Tuol Sleng, S-21, were sent to the killing fields at Choeung Ek. You won't see any pictures from the killing fields because sometimes it's important not to stay behind your camera lens.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
